African Safari?

grizz, As a South African, I have been on a number of local hunts - not with a professional guide, but always with a local tracker. Land owners will very seldom allow solo hunting on their properties, except if they know you well and your ethics and capability.

Costs vary according to the game you are after and carry a premium for trophy animals. A hunt on a local private farm with simple (rustic accomodation, self-catering for a few impala for the pot can cost around USD 100 per impala, USD 30-40 per hunter per night and a few more dollars for fuel, food, butchers, tips etc... A Kudu bull for around USD 450

A fully guided African Safari after a variety of plains game and perhaps some of the big five will set you back some telephone numbers. Popular spots for trips like these are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania

My advice, hook up with some local hunters if you want a simple local hunting experience at a reputable farm without being ripped off. let me know if I can help.
Arnie

I've been to Africa once and can hardly wait to get back. As far as the price is concerned, I had a friend that won a couple of SCI auctions, so my cost for about 3 weeks of S. Africa hunting was less than $2,000 before I added about $2,500 worth of animals. Then there is dipping, packing, shipping and taxidermy costs which, when all is said and done, will probably add $6,000 to that.

In all African countries that I know anything about, all nonresident hunters, are required to hunt with some type of professional hunter.

There are cull hunts available where one can harvest a bunch of animals over a week for about $5,000. The good thing about that is the lack of shipping and taxidermy costs after the hunt.

For more information, you might consider joining SCI and browsing the forum at www.accuratereloading.com.

For photos of my hunt, you can go to the search page of www.orchardphoto.com and enter in all of the following words (even the and):

hunting and africa

Great African Hunts very reasonable and wonderful people

I went to Africa the first time in 2002 with a whitetail outfitter and his wife, Nicky Roth. Nicky had met Tienie at a Bass Pro show. We did a archery hunt with Warthog Safaris, Tienie Bamberger. I thought that would be the only time that I would travel that far and not be hunting whitetail deer! Long story short, this will be my 8th year in a row to Africa. I have taken over 70 animals with Warthog Safaris and over 50 animals were harvested with bow, compound and recurve. You can do a 5 animal hunt for 7 days all inclusive for less than a Caribou hunt. They have over 10,000 acres bow only and over 100,000 acres for rifle hunting. Can't beat a S. African hunt for excitement and value.

I have just joined and will start posting stories about some of my hunts. I have hunted 2 polar bears in Cn. -- Hunted Nz. Red stags 396" and 335" --- have taken over 20 PY bucks in Montana, ND and Pike Co. Illinois. I have great places to hunt most anything. I had to build a new house to have a trophy room big enough to enjoy all my animals. Over 3,000 sq. ft with 23.5 ft ceilings! Now I wish it was bigger already.
Sorry for being so long winded, but hunting is my life.
Dave

Arnie


My first rifle bought in America was owned by a retired South African cardiologist and it did see a lot of action in your country and other border states...it has few lions under its belt (I should say sling...eheheh)

It's a sporterized German Mauser K98 chambered in 30-06 made by a Johannesburg custom shop in the 50's....

I have quite few South African friends living in Vancouver, Canada.

I hope to visit your country soon!!

Grizz,

My brother in law is a PH in South Africa and I can put you in contact with him, should you be interested.

He has done rifle, handgun and bow hunting guides for various US customers and has access to a variety of hunting concessions in SA

Feel free to PM me.

Grizz,

I've never been to Africa, but I've worked the Safari Club show for years, know several outfitters and I am planning a plains game hunt for next Spring.

To answer your questions, I'll start with the second one.

It's quite difficult to go solo today, although not impossible. It's also not something I'd recommend, since there are too many unpredictable variables in the reality of today's Africa--not to mention the fact that game is no longer plentiful, it tends to be on highly-controlled reserves or private ranches, and landowners are generally disinclined to let solo hunters on their property unless they know them well.

Now, to your first question. A Safari is more affordable today than it's ever been. A basic 5-day Safari for "nonglamorous" plains game (i.e. game like impala, warthog, reedbuck, springbuck) with a reputable company will set you back about $5,000 total plus airfare and taxidermy. Go with a buddy (what they call a 2X1) and you save about $500, which you can apply to another animal.

There are two main ways in which a safari can be planned or booked, although outfitters are generally very willing to work with you.

1 - A set package. This is usually the absolute cheapest version. You choose your safari from a "set menu" of options that include a number of days and a list of animals that come included in the price.

2 - A "per specie" package. This is where you choose which game you want to go after and for how many days you want to go. They will charge you by the day (typical is about $450 for a 1x1 hunt with a 4 or 5-day minimum) plus trophy fees, which you will see clearly published on their Web site.

Prices usually include transportation to and from the airport, guides, trophy fees, accommodation during the Safari, field dressing of trophies, meals and, in most cases, a reasonable amount of adult drinks. They exclude tips (count 10% total max), taxidermy, dipping and crating of trophies, airfare and any accommodation outside of the hunting Safari per se.

Other considerations are as follows. South Africa is probably (at this time) the most foreign-hunter-friendly country in Africa, and the least troublesome as far as permits and planning.

As romantic as a solo Safari sounds, my recommendation is (at least for your first one) to find yourself a good outfitter in South Africa, go with him and enjoy the best of what Africa has to offer under modern conditions, which is still a lot more than what can be said about many other kinds of hunting and many other types of settings and environments.

Tom

grumulkin, All those animals were only $2500. Looks like i need to take a trip to africa

This is a VERY OLD thread. I was back in South Africa last year for a couple of weeks thanks to an SCI auction.

I would say, an SCI auction is a good way to get an economical safari and when you take into account the multiple animals a safari will net you, is quite a bit better price wise than a big game hunt in Texas or Alaska though air fare is more.

If you decide to bid on an SCI auction, evaluate the auction terms carefully. I know one bidder who bough a hunt in Texas for about $500 but never went because the trophy fees were so exorbitant. If possible contact someone who has actually hunted with a particular outfitter. There are some auction hunts that are really no bargains at all.

2008 South Africa Safari

I doubt the original poster (Griz) is still reading this, as it was posted 3.5 years ago, but for what it's worth--An African hunt (safari just isn't the right word anymore) for common plains game is more economical than a North American hunt for the likes of Sheep, Moose (in most cases), Elk if you hire a guide, Goats, Grizz, Brown, or Polar bear. Of course, it is more than deer or pronghorn, or self done elk. Today, Namibia is the most hunter friendly and most economical. Prices have gone up a fair amount in RSA, though it's still quite economical. Zimbabwe is a bargain, and not near so dangerous as many would have you believe, and Mozambique is quite economical. Countries like Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia, not to mention CAR, are quite expensive, that being a mild statement! But they are great places to hunt if you've got the bucks. I maintain that serious hunters that don't take advantage of Africa because they are afraid of the cost are cheating themselves, bigtime. I know! I was one! Look into Namibia, RSA, or Zimbabwe for plains game and you'll be pretty surprised--and the experience is unforgetable! Now, if you have to hunt a buff, not to mention elephant, bongo, sable, lion, leopard, etc., it quits being economical real fast! Warning: It is addictive!!!